Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-21
THE BATTLE OF LIFE.
The Butchers Fight to supply
New York With Meat.

NEW YORK, February 20.--The Mail
and Erpress says: "a big fight is at
hand and the prize is the meat supply of
New York City. Three opposing armies
have been struggling and planning dur.
ing the past year against each other.
Each possesses ammunition to the
amount of SO, 900, 900. Slight skirmishes
have been fought during the last few
months, followed by a lull during the
week just passed. However, the scheme
has been unearthed, which for boldness
and enterprise is unparalleled IN history.
The Cleaver National Consumers Meat
Company is its author, and has
succeeded in surprising its foes,
the Chicago dressed beef men and
the city slaughterers. This is the
scheme. The sale OF Chicago dressed
beef and city slaughtered carcasses
is about even in New York. Last March
the National Consumers met formed
company and opened five retail stores in
this city. 1t shipped dressed carcasses
direct from the Montana range country,
and thus became rival not Only of the
city slaughterers aud Chicago dressed
beef men, but also of the retail butchers.
With its forces concentrated and its cap.
ital multiplied, it will make vigorous
and diplomatic attack on the city slaugh.
terers and Chicago men. Thus it pro.
poses to call the retail butchers to its
side by purchasing every shop in New
York for cash, by making its proprietor
q stockholder in the company, and re-
tanning him as manager of the business
The company will supply all these stores
with its own meat, and owning every
retail establishment in the city, there
will be no outlet for any other stock.
This means the total abolition of city
slaughtering and of all shipments of
Chicago dressed beef to New York.
This movement, it will bs seen. is
very bold one. The Marquis de Mores,
who is general of the Consumers forces,
is very confident of success, though re.
luctant at present to disclose the details
of the scheme in question. "Our
plan" he said yesterday, ''is not to sell
at wholesale to retail butchers, as seems
to be the general impression. We de-
sire to bring our stock direct to
the consumer. Our company is to
be merged into another very
large syndicate and having abundant
capital. we propose to buy up every re-
tail store in this city either for cash or
stock. If our negotiations are not sue
eessful, we can open three or four
hundred independent retail shops. We
first desire to give every retail butcher
chance to dispose of his business. The
city slaughterers cannot compete with
u.s." A. E. Foster, of Kansas City, the
companys western manager, who was
present during the interview, said
that any possible opposition from
the Chicago dressed beef company
was not considered at present. Inter-
views with leading wholesale butchers
are given. They are generally of the
opinion that the plan won't work. They
say that it will take about twenty
millions to begin TO buy all the retail
stores. This will not give the company
all the trade, as its meat is not equal in
quality to city dressed, end opposition
shops will spring up all around those of
the syndicate. Managers of the Chicago
dressed beef houses do not think much
of the scheme.